Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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558. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to provide capital funding for community and not for profit child care services which have not availed of grant assistance to date; the timescale for the introduction of such a scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18068/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Early Years Capital Programme 2014, which I recently announced, provides €2.5 million for maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit childcare services. The closing date for applications for grants under the programmes, which will be administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, is the 7th May 2014. Full details of the programme is available on the Pobal website at www.pobal.ie.

In addition to this funding, €0.25 million each is being provided to support the Parent and Toddler initiative and Childminding Development Grant scheme and is being administered by the City and County Childcare Committees.

The objective of Early Years Capital 2014 is to ensure that previously funded community facilities remain fit-for-purpose, maintain and improve quality, and to make community service more efficient and sustainable through improving the energy rating of these facilities.

Many community childcare facilities were built with large State investment under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP). However, many are now over ten years old, and significant issues are emerging in terms of repair, maintenance and upgrade which must now be addressed, to ensure that quality childcare services can continue to be provided. The priority is to ensure that the considerable investment made by the State in this sector is protected so that the services on which so many people are dependent can be maintained.

As I indicated when announcing this year’s funding, I hope to be in a position later this year to make a further announcement regarding capital funding for 2015.